Improvement in boots and shoes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specicationforming part of Letters Patent No. 56,391, dated July 1'7, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN R. ETHEIDGE, of Lockes Mills, in the. county of Oxford and State of Main e, have invented a new and nseful Improvement in Boots or Shoes, and'l do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a side view, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, of a boot made in accordance with my invention.

It has an inflexible or stiff sole, and in the construction of the shoe or boot two continuous welts, instead of one welt only, as ordinarily employed, are used. One of the said welts, after being turned up to a right angle, or thcreabout, with the insole, serves to form with such sole a space for the reception of a water-proof compositionsuch as shellac, for instance-' and a wooden or inflexible sole, the other welt being subsequently turned down over the rst welt and upon the said sole, preparatory to the application thereto of a metallic cap-sole or such a sole and a gutta-percha or india-rubber sole, as hereinafter eX- plained.

In the drawings, A denotes the upper-leather or upper of a boot or shoe, B,the insole. a and b are the two welts, which are stitched to the upper and insole by a thread, c, such thread being carried through such insole, welts, and upperi after the insole and upper may have been lasted or applied to a last. Such last I usually make with its bottom surface concave transversely, instead of their being made conveX, as lasts are generally formed, such concavity being to enable me to place against the insole a cushion, C, of some soft or elastic material, which, when the last is in wear, will enable the foot to force the insole down into conformity with the shape of the sole of the foot.

After the application of the welts, insole, upper, and cushion together, as explained, the inner welt, or that marked a, is to be turned up so as to form a space for holding shellac, which is to be poured or placed in the space, as shown at d, after which an inflexible sole, D, made of wood, is to be laid in the space and against the said layer of shellac. Next,

the other welt, b, is to be turned down over the welt a and the edge of the sole D, and a metallic capsole, E, is to be placed over the whole, such cap-sole being formed with a lip, g, to project from its edge, as represented. This metallic cap-sole may be made with numerous holes or perforatons, f f, going through it, the same being to receive corresponding projections e c from a gutta-percha or india-rubber outer sole, E', which, preparatory to the application of the cap-sole, may be laid upon the inexible or wooden sole D, or be arranged therewith, as shown in the drawings.

The cap-sole is to be fastened in place by means of screws going through it and being screwed into the iniexible sole.

While the inner welt, a, serves to hold the layer of shellac, it also answers to cover the edge of the inflexible sole, and prevent it from being seen when the outer welt may become worn through.

The layer of shellac protects the cushion and the inflexible sole from water which might otherwise soak through the welt during use of the boot.

The gutta-percha sole E and the perforations in the cap-sole are to prevent the capsole from slipping on ice or a smooth surface, as well as to protect the inexible sole from moisture.

The metallic cap-sole serves to protect the wooden sole from wear, and to make a good inish to the boot or shoe.

A boot or shoe so made is intended for the use of miners, farmers, laborers, or others requiring a heavy and strong covering for their feet.

I claim- 1. The combination as well as the arrangement of the two welts a b with the 'insole B, the upper, and the outer sole, D.

2. The combination and arrangement of the metallic capsole F with the wooden outer sole, D, the two welts a b, the insole B, and the Lipper A, arranged and applied together substantially as set forth.

3. The arrangement and combination of the cushion O with the insole B, outer sole, D, and the upper A, disposed together substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination of the perforated capsole F and the gutta-pereha sole E', or its equivalent, applied to the Wooden outer sole, D, as set forth.

5. The combination and arrangement; of the layer d of shellae, or its equivalent, with phe Wooden sole, the two Welts, the insole, and

upper, arranged and applied togethervsubstantially as explained.

MARTIN R. ETHRIDGE.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, J r. 

